World Briefs

October 08, 2006

KABUL, AFGHANISTANGunmen kill two German journalists Two German journalists who had pitched a tent on the side of a road outside a northern Afghan village were killed by gunmen early Saturday, the fifth anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan. The freelance journalists conducting research for a documentary were the first foreign reporters killed in Afghanistan since late 2001, when eight journalists died. A NATO soldier, meanwhile, was killed by militants who detonated a roadside bomb and fired on a military patrol in southern Afghanistan. A suicide car bomber targeted a U.S. patrol in eastern Afghanistan but caused no casualties. The killings came on the fifth anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2001, invasion by U.S.-led troops to oust the Taliban for hosting Osama bin Laden. Western forces and Afghanistan's Northern Alliance quickly routed the Islamic regime. LILONGWE, MALAWIMadonna makes 3rd orphanage visit Madonna visited another orphanage in Malawi on Saturday amid persistent rumors that she plans to adopt a boy who lost his parents to AIDS. It was the pop star's third visit to an orphanage in as many days. She arrived in the impoverished country Wednesday and Malawian government officials have said repeatedly she was planning to adopt a boy there. But Madonna's spokeswoman has denied the rumors. Madonna and her husband, film director Guy Ritchie, traveled Friday to the small village of Mchinji near the Zambian border where she distributed copies of her book "The English Roses" and listened to children sing. Alick, a boy of about 12, said it was the second time Madonna had visited the Home of Hope orphanage. Several residents said they heard she was going to adopt a boy named Davie and had been in discussions with the boy's guardians to take him to the U.S. But there was no confirmation of that. RAMALLAH, WEST BANKStray bullet in protest wounds photographer A Palestinian news photographer was shot and seriously wounded Saturday night by a stray bullet from local protesters as he stood at the window of his home in downtown Ramallah, Palestinian security officials said. Officials identified the man as freelance photographer Osama Awwad, 29, and said he was hit when activists of the Fatah movement fired their weapons in the air during a street protest against the rival Hamas group. COPENHAGEN, DENMARKParty expresses regret for mocking of prophet Video showing young members of a populist political party mocking the Prophet Muhammad has surfaced on Web sites, prompting the head of the Danish party's youth wing to express regret Friday. But Kenneth Kristensen, chairman of the Danish People's Party Youth, known for its anti-immigration stance, refused to apologize for the actions of its members at a summer camp in August, although he acknowledged they were problematic. "It is bad style because it overshadows our political line," Kristensen told The Associated Press. He added that he believed it "is OK to poke fun at Muhammad, Jesus or Bill Clinton. We must not put limits on ourselves." The story, first reported by the daily newspaper Nyhedsavisen on Friday, came in the aftermath of violent protests after 12 drawings of the Prophet Muhammad were published last year.